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Dante Dettamanti is new boys' water polo coach at M-A High School

Former Stanford men's water polo coach Dante Dettamanti, who helped out the Menlo-Atherton boys' team last season as an assistant coach, will be the Bears' new head coach this coming fall. Photo by Keith Peters/Palo Alto Online.

Former Stanford men's water polo coach Dante Dettamanti, who won eight NCAA titles during his 25 years on The Farm, retired in 2001 as the team's head coach.

Dettamanti, however, never left the sport. He resurfaced as the head coach at Sacred Heart Prep in 2003 and led the Gators to a Central Coast Section Division II title, the program's first-ever, before leaving after one year.

Dettamanti was back in the prep ranks last season as the assistant boys' coach at Menlo-Atherton.

Dettamanti will be back with the Bears in 2011, only this time as the team's head coach. He replaces his friend, Marco Palazzo.

"I had no intention of being a head coach again," said Dettamanti, "but when Marco was called up to help out the USA Olympic Team in Los Angeles, M-A was in a bind. So I decided to do it for this year, until they can find a permanent coach.

"Besides, I like the players a lot, and I think that we are going to have a pretty good team. We are going to stress the defensive part of the game with our USA Junior National Team goalie, senior Alex Gow, as the anchor to the defense. We have good team speed, so we also stress counterattacking off of our full court press. I have always played this style of game anyway. I think that it suits us well."

Dettamanti said he, Palazzo and the Bears were disappointed last season when the team did not make the CCS semifinals.

"This year our goal is to make the finals," Dettamanti said. "It's a big challenge, and at the same time will be lots of fun. What else can I be doing with all of my spare time? Coaching water polo is what I know best. But after 25 years as a Stanford Cardinal, I never thought that I would ever be saying 'Go Bears.' "